Why giving peer feedback is an important skill

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It’s not only the teacher or your manager’s feedback that matters – the feedback you provide to your peers is just as important.

The ability to work with others is now one of the most sought-after skills that employers look for in new hires. This is because collaboration can promote innovation and enhance problem-solving.

Part of this is the ability to give feedback as it can provide the information that people need to make changes and improve. Not only that, giving peer feedback has rebound benefits that could help you with your own development.

In this blog post, we break down 6 reasons why we encourage you to give peer feedback.


1. You are helping your peers improve and grow

Sometimes, it can be difficult for others to see what they are doing or how they are performing. Feedback is about providing a mirror for others to reflect on their work or performance so they can identify changes that can help them improve.

Without feedback, your peers could make the same mistakes over and over again without knowing. They could be missing opportunities to become more efficient. They could become complacent in their work and avoid trying anything new.

By providing feedback, you provide insight that could empower your peers to make choices that could change their practice for the better.


2. You present yourself as a valuable team player

It’s not always easy to give feedback to your peers as it can come across as criticism very easily. Feedback, however, should not be criticism but a means of learning to do better. This is what we call constructive feedback.

By giving constructive peer feedback, you present yourself as someone who cares about the work and development of those around you and wants people to succeed.

If you’re genuine about helping people, your peers will seek your feedback because ultimately, everyone wants to improve.


3. Giving peer feedback trains your critical eye

A critical eye means having the ability to spot a range of critical issues that might not always be obvious to a cool observer.

The more you assess peer work, the more you will learn about what works, what doesn’t, what might cause potential problems and what opportunities of growth look like. These will become easier to recognise over time.

And when you consider possible alternatives and solutions to problems, you will also improve your problem-solving skills.


4. You can reflect on your own strengths and weaknesses

It can be hard to be critical of your own work or performance when you’re so close to it and know how much time and effort goes into it.

Providing feedback to others provides the opportunity to see things more objectively and make a thorough and detached assessment. Through this, you may notice strengths and weaknesses that apply to you, which you might not have thought about before.

This will inform your own assessment and help you identify alternatives and solutions for your own development.


5. Giving feedback improves your communication skills

For feedback to be effective, it also needs to be understood and accepted.

When giving feedback, you need to really consider what it is you’re going to say and how you’re going to say it. The more you give feedback, the more you develop the skills and language to explain yourself clearly and show respect to your peers.

You also need to provide enough detail and justification so your peers can understand and accept your feedback. Ultimately, giving feedback helps your communication skills to improve because you are learning to communicate your message effectively.


6. You learn and prepare to collaborate effectively

Very rarely now will you have to work alone. There is an increasing expectation that you can work with others to reach a common goal.

Giving feedback supports the collaborative process as it can inspire and motivate your peers to make their work the best that it can be and find solutions to any barriers for success. 

By participating in a culture of providing feedback to each other, you enable a workplace that is supportive, productive and always looking to improve.


It takes time and practice to improve your ability to give feedback. Why not try giving feedback in your online course community today?

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